World Autism Awareness Day 2019

World Autism Awareness Day 2019

Today we would like to take some time with this post to acknowledge and raise awareness that it is World Autism Awareness Day. Autism is a wide range of neurological disorders that affect about 1 in 90 births. Continue reading to learn more about autism and how awareness can be raised.

What is Autism?

Autism is a spectrum disorder where a person has challenges in speech, social skills, communication, and behaviors. A person can fall anywhere on the spectrum from being mildly inconvenienced, to essentially mute, and non-responsive. Symptoms of autism include not making direct eye contact, not listening to people, not responding to their names, difficulty making conversation, different tones of voice, fixating on a subject, and having mismatched facial expressions in situations. Some repetitive behaviors include getting upset by a change in routine, large interest in facts, being more sensitive to light and noise, or even repeating words. A helpful benefit that is common in autism is that these people tend to excel in math, science, music, and art. They are also much more likely to remember information.

Do Vaccines Cause Autism?

This is still a common misconception. The doctor who published his paper that vaccines cause autism has admitted to fraud, and faking all of his research and conclusions. Unfortunately for the general population, some people still believe that this hoax is true, and spread misinformation. Being educated on a topic is the single most valuable resource to combatting misconceptions, and forming public opinion.

Famous People With Autism

It is important to remember that autism is not a limiting factor to how well someone can perform a job function. There have been brilliant people who come from scientific backgrounds and the arts who have autism.

1. Courtney Love – Singer
2. Dan Akroyd – Comedian
3. Jerry Seinfeld – Comedian
4. Stanley Kubrick – Director
5. Andy Warhol – Pop Artist
6. Albert Einstein – Physicist
7. Robin Williams – Actor/ Comedian
8. Daryl Hannah – Actress
9. Susan Boyle – Singer
10. Thomas Jefferson – 3rd President
11. Abraham Lincoln – 16th President
12. Charles Darwin – Scientist
13. Bill Gates – Mogul/ Owner of Microsoft
14. Mozart – Composer
15. Emily Dickinson – Poet
16. Tim Burton – Director

Final Thoughts

We hope that this article helps raise awareness for those who have autism. Do you or someone you know have autism? Has autism had any impact on your life? If you would like to donate, please consider the foundation, Autism Speaks. Comment below!